The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-23
over me and utterly banished all dream

me, anu CTemDleQ ike pdlSleu OiG
man. A great sense of dread of some
thug terrible about to happen seized me
something, I knew not what; and
strove against it in vain. Iclung to the
bridge.rail in front, and tried to pull
myself together, and I grew calmer as
the low voices of some of the men for
ward fell upon my ear.
'Thomp>on!" I called; and the
burly boatswain's mate came toward
me with the easy roll of a seaman, and
touching his cap, said
"'Did ye want me, Mr.. Brown?"
"'Everything right - the watch
awaken" I asked.
"'Yes, sir; but it's pitch dark, and
we can't see five yards ahead. Jim Dix
on's for'ard'"
"'Take q look round YOURSELF 1e-
piled.
"While the mate was gone, the terri
fed feeling seemed to leave me, and in
its place an indeinable and hay but
powerful impression gained upon me that
I must do something; but what l could
not make out You have no idea
of the awful agony I WAS in, and how l
strove to find out what it was that I now
felt impelled to do. My brain seemed on
fire, my temples throbbed as thoug h they
would burst, and a strange buzzlng
sounded in my ears. I felt as ifI was 60
ing mad, and the thought of the great
ship in charge of a madman on the
bridge flashed across me. A wild feel
ing, that it would be better to throw my
self overheard crept into my soul, and I
believe I did make a step over to the
side, when ray of light broke in upon
me. The turmoil in my brain grew still,
and voice distinctly said in my ear
Stop the ship"
81 Hooked round sharply left and right,
but there was not a creature on the bridge
except myself. Ileared over and looked
down onto the deck. but it was deserted,
silent, and dark. I even glanced aloft,
but of course saw nothing there except
gaunt yards and the slender braces and
lifts.
"'All right fore and aft, SIR" came
Thompson's voice, and his dusky form
loomed out of the shadow.
"'What order did the Captain give
just before you came up9' 1 asked. Not
that l for moment thought that it was
his voice which I had heard, but I
wanted to see if the boatswain's mate
had noticed anything.
" Order, sir 2 Why the cap'en be
turned in
" But did not you hear some one say
"Stop the ship" just as you got to the
ladder foot2'
No, sir, that I'll take my davy
I" Very we'll, you may go, but mind
you keep sharp lookout
.Ay, ay, sir" aud the man moved
away.
4 felt inclined to laugh at myself for
an old woman, when a chilly feeling
crept once more upon me, and something
within me this time earnestly said:
Stop the ship"
81 shook the feeling off, however, and
determined to give way no longer to
morbid tancies lighted pipe, and be-
gan to pace briskly to and fro, from port
to starboard and starboard to port. But,
though all traces of fear and terror van
ished, yet ever those words came ring
ing n my ear, and the faster I walked
the more plainly I heard
"'Stop the ship! Stop the ship
"Again I hailed the watch: All
right forwarda Can you see anything
ahead9' and Ipeered out into the dark
ness round.
".All clear for'ard, but we can't see
more than ten yards sang out Thomp-
son, sullenly.
$50 once more l began my measured
tramp, but louder and louder came the
in tones of frantic entreaty-
"Stop the ship! Stop the ship'
ut was no use striving longer; I felt
some potent influence force me to the en-
gine-room telegraph. I seized the han
die, and for moment paused as I
thought of the confusion and alarm
which I was about to cause, aud how au-
cry the sleeping captain would be at my
daring to do such a thing without his
orders. The next instant rang: Easy
ahead I felt the engines throb more
slowly. Yet again I heard, almost mad
ly-
"'Stop the shipn
And without q moments further hest
tation rang Stop" and soon the throb-
bing ceased entirely. I heard exclama-
tions of surprise from the fok'sel. There
was a rare commotlon on the deck as the
captain rushed up the ladder in anxious
haste, but before he could reach my side,
the resistlcss power had overcome me
again, and I rang down "Full speed
aste en-"
"'In heavens name, what's the mat.
ter, Brown2' I heard the astonished cap
tain say as the mighty screw began to
race astern, and forcibly pull up, as it
were, the great ship, which still forged
gently ahead.
:, "Before I could answer, or even glance
around, a loud shout from the lookout
on the bows: 'An iceberg right on us!'
was followed by a slight shock and a
quiver and rattle as We ran stem on to
the towering monster. What our fate
would have been had we been steaming
at full speed, you may guess; instead OF
you home tonight. the old Sar-
dinian would be lying fathoms deep.
and her loss would have added one more
to the mysteries of the sea- '"
There was dead silence as the speaker
ended, and we pulled our pipes thought
fully for few moments, until he
added
"That is a queer yarn, know, and if
you can explain it, so much the better.
have often tried to do so to myself,
but cannot. I believe some unseen spirit